"Brunhild, Brunhild... The exit is on the right side. Those heading to the Kingdom of Belfast, please..."
While listening to the announcement from the magic train, I began to take down the luggage that had been placed on the overhead shelf. It seems like we've arrived.
I’ve finally reached my destination after passing through the Regulus Empire from my hometown, the Elfrau Kingdom. Though I used the magic train, it still took a day and a half. My body is already sore and stiff.
Unlike the relaxed reserved seats taken by nobles and wealthy merchants, this is the cramped ordinary seat. The narrow seat is honestly quite painful. The man next to me smells like tobacco, which makes it even worse.
My name is Nero Silhueska. I'm an ordinary twelve-year-old girl from the small town of Alente, located to the east of the Elfrau Kingdom in the snowy north. Well, I'm a "little" smaller than most.
I came all the way here to enroll in the Babylon Mechanics Girl Academy, located in the Brunhild Principality.
The Babylon Mechanics Girl Academy is a five-year public vocational school that recruits students from all around the world.
However, with only five slots available per country, the entrance is highly competitive, and only a few people can get in.
By sheer luck, I was one of those five. I still can't believe it, but the entrance permit and student ID in my hand prove that this is not a dream.
I hoisted the large luggage I took down from the shelf onto my back and stepped off the stopped magic train, landing on the station platform.
"This is Brunhild... huh..."
I was momentarily entranced by the large and glamorous station, which was much bigger than the magic station in Elfrau. As expected of the world's greatest magic city, everywhere I look, magical tools are being used.
"Uh, the ticket gate is... that way."
Carrying my big luggage, I trotted along, holding up my smartphone and passing through the ticket gate.
After leaving the station building, I saw the large avenue leading to the Central Park. And beyond that, at the end of the street lined with cherry trees, I could see the white castle. That must be Brunhild Castle.
Suddenly, I heard a translucent song coming from somewhere, and I looked around, my gaze wandering.
Upon closer inspection, I saw a large-scale spiritual ether vision attached to the upper part of the station building I had just exited.
Spiritual ether visions, which display images from distant places or recorded footage, are not so rare these days.
In the past, they were managed and installed by the country, but nowadays, even somewhat wealthy people own them. It’s rare to see one like this in the middle of a city though.
The spiritual ether vision displayed a girl with cherry-blossom-colored hair, singing and dancing in a frilly outfit.
I think she’s a recently debuting idol, right? My older sister was crazy about her, but I don’t really remember.
...Hmm, it’s actually a pretty good song.
I had been listening for a while, but then I snapped back to reality.
"Ah, no, no. More importantly, the academy..."
I took my eyes off the spiritual ether vision and pulled out my smartphone from my pocket to display the map to the academy.
This smartphone, which is used by people all around the world, was also made here in Brunhild.
It’s a multi-purpose magic tool born from ancient technology revived over three hundred years ago by the first Grand Duke. It’s said that this invention advanced human development by thousands of years.
The earlier spiritual ether vision was also created using the technology from this smartphone.
This was one of the two great technologies that the first Grand Duke brought to the world. The other is...
"That’s...!"
From here, I could see two giants facing each other to the west of the castle. They were huge. Larger than the houses nearby.
Their figures, armored from head to toe like knights. Those are the other technology brought by the first Duke. The giant humanoid general-purpose weapon, "Frame Gear."
Over five thousand years ago, the world was thrust into an unprecedented crisis due to invaders from another world. To fight back against these invaders, a genius magic engineer created the "Frame Gear."
However, the Frame Gear never saw the battlefield. This is because the invaders suddenly disappeared from the world, and peace returned, leaving everyone puzzled.
Thus, the Frame Gear, which never had the chance to fulfill its role, disappeared from history.
But three hundred years ago, invaders from another world appeared again. In response, the first Grand Duke of Brunhild revived the ancient Frame Gear and, in cooperation with other countries, protected the world from the invaders.
Afterward, the world returned to peace, and the technology of the Frame Gear spread widely. Its uses range from disaster relief for things like landslides, to hunting giant magical beasts called "behemoth," and even the "Mechanical War Ragnarok" between nations.
The Mechanical War Ragnarok is a large-scale pseudo-war where several countries’ Frame Gears cooperate and battle each other.
It’s held once a year, and the victorious country can lead the World Federation for the year.
In order to participate as a contestant in the Mechanical War Ragnarok, one must graduate from Brunhild’s Mechanism School and acquire the qualification of "Mechanism Trooper."
Of course, I’m aiming for that. I came all the way here for that purpose.
"Alright! Let’s go!"
I suppressed my excitement and started walking toward the Babylon Mechanics Girl Academy.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Wow... It's the real thing..."
I was trembling with emotion as I looked at the Frame Gears standing on either side of the gate in front of the Mechanics Academy.
To think that I could see the old-style Frame Gears, which were used when this country was founded, with my own eyes.
The white and black machines, called the White Knight Chevalier and the Black Knight Baron. These were the earliest Frame Gears, said to have been ridden by the commander and vice-commander of the Brunhild Knights back then.
Although they are so old that they could be called antiques, the beauty of their design has not changed even after three hundred years. They are the machines that can be considered symbols of the Mechanics Academy.
By the way, in order to become a "Mechanism Trooper" who rides a Frame Gear, graduation from a Mechanics Academy is essential, and there are two such schools in Brunhild.
The "Brunhild Mechanics Academy" and the "Babylon Mechanics Girl Academy."
Originally, the "Brunhild Mechanics Academy" was the only Mechanics Academy in this country... no, in this world, but due to the selfish request of one of the royal family members who wanted to "test the compatibility of women with Frame Gears," the Babylon Mechanics Girl Academy was established fifteen years ago.
As the name suggests, the Babylon Mechanics Girl Academy is a girls' school.
The reason is that the co-ed Frame Gear Mechanics Academy places heavy emphasis on knight training, and as women generally have weaker physical strength and endurance than men, fewer women were accepted compared to men.
This is a leftover from the time when knights from various countries borrowed Frame Gears, and for women, it was an even narrower gate.
According to the royal family who founded the girls' school, "It is nonsense to dismiss the possibility of women becoming Mechanism Troopers just because they don’t have knightly aptitude."
In fact, I also took the entrance exam for the "Academy" in Elfrau.
The result was failure. I couldn’t make the grade in the initial endurance marathon test and strength measurement weightlifting, so I failed in the first test.
However, when I next took the entrance exam for the "School," there were Frame Gear compatibility tests, magical synchronization tests, and various other unclear tests that weren’t in the "Academy" exam, and incredibly, I passed!
I don’t think it was due to a lack of candidates at the newly established school...
By the way, I've heard that the "Academy" and "School" are supposed to be rival institutions, but there’s a rumor that they actually don’t get along.
I don’t know if it’s true, but I’ve heard they fiercely compete in the annual competition, so it’s definitely a rivalry.
As a student of the "School," I have to do my best from now on. And one day, I’ll get back at the "Academy." The fish I let go was a big one!
The first exam was a marathon and weightlifting... aren’t all the "Academy" students brainless muscle heads? Hardly any normal girl can enter. I mean, if I use body enhancement...
"Hey, you. If you're going to stand there, you’re in the way. Could you move?"
"Huh?"
While I was muttering about the "Academy," a harsh voice came from behind me.
When I turned around, there was a blonde girl pulling a large suitcase.
She was a head taller than me. Well, I can’t really say anything since I’m short, but she looked about the same age as me. From the fact that she was carrying a suitcase, I could guess she was probably a new student like me.
Her straight blonde hair and sharp blue eyes gave off a strong-willed aura. And what stood out most were her long ears.
An elf.
For me, elves aren’t a particularly rare sight. This is because the Queen of the Elfrau Kingdom, my homeland, is an elf, so many elves lived in the royal capital. I had seen a few on the way here as well.
What caught my attention was the rumor I heard when I boarded the magic train after leaving my hometown, Arente, for the royal capital.
The rumor was that "this year, a noble young lady from Elfrau is going to enroll in the academy." And the girl in front of me was clearly dressed in high-class clothing, looking every bit the noble.
Could this girl be...
"Excuse me. Are you listening?"
"Ah, yes. I'm listening. Um, are you perhaps a new student?"
"Yes, I am... Ah, so you're a new student as well."
"Yes! I'm Nero Silhueska from Elfrau!"
As soon as I introduced myself, a wrinkle appeared between the noble lady’s brows. Huh, what’s with that reaction...
"Sigh... To think a fellow Elfrau student would be from such a rural place... This is going to be troublesome."
"...Huh?"
"My name is Lirisha Mirian. I am also from Elfrau, from the Duchy of Mirian. I trust you’ll do your best to not disgrace the name of Elfrau. Well then, good day."
The girl who introduced herself as Lirisha walked past me, her footsteps quick.
When I snapped back to reality, Lirisha had already disappeared from sight.
Ugh, what was with that attitude!?
Darn it, I should’ve said something back. I should have told her that in this academy, status doesn’t matter! Nobles and commoners are all equal students here! The school rules say so!
Tch, what a high-handed noblewoman, and she’s one of my peers! I’m really unlucky!
After all, there are only five people from the same country in my year. I’ll have to see her face constantly throughout academy life. Not to mention, we’ll be living in the same dorm.
I feel like I’m going to have to find some way to get along with her. Either I force myself to be friendly, keep everything strictly business-like, or just become her enemy.
But opposing a noble from my own country could cause problems later. While status doesn’t matter in the academy, once we graduate, that will no longer be the case.
If I get selected as a player for the Mechanical War Ragnarok, then it’ll be fine, but if not, I won’t be able to go against the power of the nobility.
Well, I could always serve as a Mechanism Trooper in another country after graduation...
But in that case, my family would have to move as well, so they wouldn’t be harmed.
Ugh, I’m already feeling down on my first day. Please, God, let the other three peers I have be normal people...
No comments:
Post a Comment